In this article, we have a chat to a new member of the PFH team, who is responsible for leading our customer-facing
team who answer all inbound calls to our offices.
Joe Day, Customer Services Manager
When did you join PFH?
I joined PFH in June. It’s been a steep learning curve so far, but I’ve really enjoyed the challenge and the type of organisation it is.
What did you do prior to joining the PFH team?
I’ve done all sorts really. Most recently I spent 10 years at Npower working in their call-centre, within the complaints team, and then I set-up and managed a team of around 80 staff.
I was responsible for managing repairs of gas and electric meters and rolling out upgrade programmes across the country. I’m a big believer in constantly trying to improve things so that processes work better for customers, and over time at Npower I was able to do that.
I hope I can do the same at PFH to make the whole experience for residents as smooth as possible. Before Npower, I worked in sales roles across Hull, and before that, I ran a cocktail bar and nightclub in Brighton for four years – that was a lot of fun, but very unsociable hours!
What’s the most enjoyable thing about working in a
Customer Services role?
I think customer service roles tend to be under-appreciated. The teams working on the front-line in all organisations have to work incredibly hard and have a huge amount of knowledge. One of the hardest things is maintaining a customer focus whilst managing hundreds of calls, emails, letters and other tasks. What I like about this role is that the team of people working with me in Customer Services are all incredibly passionate about our residents and really do genuinely care about doing a good job. That makes my job so much easier!
What has been the best thing about working at
PFH so far?
The welcome I’ve had has been amazing. I was a little concerned about moving from a very large organisation to a smaller one, but the whole PFH team have been incredible, they have all put up with all my annoying questions about how or why things are done in a certain way. I think the best thing though has been the opportunity to start implementing new ideas which are already bringing positive benefits. I’ve been able to start making small changes that really benefit residents and that’s really rewarding.
Do you have any family/pets/hobbies you can
tell us about, so residents can get to know you a
little better?
I’ve got a 6-year old daughter, so the pandemic has meant a real shift in home life for my family. Throughout the first, and third lockdowns, my wife and I have both juggled working, running the house, and teaching – that’s been a real challenge, but it has meant more time with my daughter than I would have had normally so that was a real positive. I’ve got a dog (with one eye), two cats, and a tank full of fish too. I love the sea, especially out at Easington and Spurn Point – that’s my happy place and I can spend hours just sitting on the coast. I’m a sports fan, supporting Hull City through the good times and the bad. I enjoy watching cricket and I can quite happily sit and watch a 5-day test match, or listen to every ball – although with a 6-year-old I don’t get to commit to that quite as much as when I was younger!